And we shouldn't be too quick to hand out credit to Beckham for earning a starting berth either.

Let's not forget, this is the club who put Jermaine Pennant on their January shopping list.

That Beckham has shown he is still fit after messing around in the United States is good news for England manager Fabio Capello, but he is hardly going to change all his plans to accommodate the country's former captain because of it.